With heartbreak and side blow: moving ski farewell

“On the one hand, it was by far the hardest decision in my life. And looking back, it was also the simplest and only correct one.” With these words, Alexander Köll spoke out on social media on Monday evening in an emotional, one-and-a-half-word-page-long statement. The Swedish speed specialist has ended his career - out of necessity, as he announced with a heavy heart.

The reason: In 2020, the 31-year-old had a serious fall during training in Val d'Isére. He suffered a neck injury from which he was never able to fully recover. “The optic nerve was also pinched and there were severe visual impairments. This makes the activity of a speed racer, who travels at top speeds of up to 140 km/h, seriously threatening, dangerous and indeed reckless,” writes the two-time World Cup participant and adds: “The body gave me signals that it no longer works.” From East Tyrol to Sweden Alexander Köll has had a remarkable career. Born in East Tyrol, he decided to change nations at the age of 18 and from then on competed for Sweden - his mother's home country. The World Cup debut followed in Val Gardena in 2015, followed by 28 further appearances in the premier ski class, as well as five World Cup races in St. Moritz and Åre. A 20th place is the best result of his career: he achieved this placement in the World Cup in Beaver Creek and at the World Championships in Åre. The speed racing driver also became a multiple Swedish champion.

“I’m proud of my career,” says Köll. “As a proud member of the Swedish national ski team, we have put together and built a competitive speed team and have been able to motivate many young athletes to put on their skis. My goal was always for us as a team, even when we competed against each other,” explains the 31-year-old. A swipe at the critics His farewell message also contains a polemical undertone. “I often had to fight against strong resistance - be it in terms of injuries or in terms of people who didn't believe in my abilities. But that never stopped me from continuing to pursue my goals and dreams. It is worth mentioning and interesting that these people are no longer in the World Cup entourage.” “Now I don’t have to justify myself to my mother every time.” Alexander Köll But Alexander Köll won't be able to give up skiing completely. “Skiing remains my passion, but in the future I will spend more time in natural snow than on artificially created, icy, aggressive, shady race tracks,” says the Austrian-Swede, who adds with a wink: “Then I won’t have to worry after every ride justifying to my mother why I’m doing this.”

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With heartbreak and side blow: moving ski farewell

Ending your own career is a difficult matter for every skier and every athlete. How emotional such a farewell can be can be seen in the example of a speed specialist who is forced to put his skis in the corner forever.

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